Rutgers women's basketball to host Marquette, Georgia Southern in weekend tournament
The Rutgers women's basketball team is back in action this weekend for two games as it hosts the inaugural Battle on the Banks Tournament. The Scarlet Knights (4-2, 0-0) will face off against Marquette and Georgia Southern looking to snap a two-game skid.
Last time out, Rutgers fell to Princeton 66-49 in a lackluster offensive performance. It shot 35.2 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc, both season lows. After a hard-fought loss to Virginia Tech following a strong start to the season, the lack of offensive productivity shocked many last weekend at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus.
One bright spot in the loss was freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller, who scored a career-high 27 points on 12-of-25 shooting. McMiller was the only player for the Knights who scored double figures, and only 1 of 2 players, along with junior guard Mya Petticord, to covert on a three-point try.
The Golden Eagles (2-2, 0-0) will be no easy opponent, as they come into Friday's matchup on a two-game win streak, scoring a combined 175 points while giving up only 87 points in the past two games.
Lee Volker is a name to watch out for on both ends of the court for Marquette, averaging 12.8 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game, most of which came on the defensive end. Skylar Forbes is another efficient scorer for the Golden Eagles, averaging 12.5 points per game on approximately 42 percent shooting from the field. Standing at 6-foot-3, Forbes will be a challenging matchup against senior guard and forward Destiny Adams on the low post.
The Eagles (4-1, 0-0) are another formidable opponent, winning four straight games to start the season before dropping their last game against George Washington 56-46.
Nicole Gwynn is a player who not only can score but also is an exceptional facilitator for her teammates, averaging 14.4 points per game and tallying 13 assists on the year.
Georgia Southern averages approximately 40 rebounds per game, which can cause issues for a Rutgers team that has struggled in that category in the past few games. With both the Knights and the Eagles matched up similarly in size, it should be an interesting battle for boards.
Overall, Rutgers needs to take bits and pieces from each of its previous two losses and improve upon them in the coming games. The Knights have struggled with foul trouble — their go-to players have not been on the floor due to fouls — but Adams, in particular, has been in foul trouble in almost every game, totaling four fouls per game in 5 of 6 games this season.
Another key is Rutgers needs to win the rebounding battle, especially as conference play awaits in a few weeks. In the past two games, the Knights have lost the rebounding battle, leading to defeat. Giving teams extra chances on offensive possessions is not a recipe for success going forward.
Rutgers has to limit turnovers, as it currently averages 15 per game, leading to 14.5 points per game off of said turnovers for opponents. This was an issue that plagued the Knights last season, giving up approximately 18 turnovers per game, the second-most in the Big Ten.
With a clean sweep this weekend, Rutgers can come within two games of its win total of eight games from last season, setting the foundation for the possibility of a successful season. Friday's game against Marquette is set to tip off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM. Saturday's game against Georgia Southern is set for a 2 p.m. tipoff and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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